Village recognition issue: WCCZLI not to allow Govt offices in Peren to function from Nov 1

Dimapur, October 14: The Working Committee on Zeliangrong Land Issues (WCCZLI) has warned the Peren District Administration that no Government offices under Peren district would be allowed to function in any manner from November 1 next and no Government vehicles would be allowed to ply within the district during the bandh period.
However, it said educational institutions and health centres would not fall under the purview of the bandh.
In a letter to Deputy Commissioner, Peren, WCCZLI convener, Kiezin Zeliang stated that the recent Government recognition of Khehoi village (erstwhile Kiavi ‘B’ village) is a serious insult and a direct challenge to the landowners, i.e., Lamhai village as well as the Zeliangrong community.
It said the recognition was accorded without following proper government norms and procedures, adding the so-called Khehoi village falls within the land of Lamhai village but ‘No Objection Certificate’ was not even obtained from the landowner which is a must required document for granting recognition to a new village.
The WCCZLI stated that the same village was also evicted twice by the Government in 1976 and 1983 as it was illegally established.
It lamented that the Government has placed Khehoi village under Dimapur district which is not at all acceptable to the people of Peren district.
It may be mentioned that the Lamhai Village Council and Mhainamtsi Village Council had given a joint ultimatum to the Government on September 3 last to revoke the Order on or before September 30 warning that the landowner would be compelled to seek its own course of action to get justice.
The WCCZLI said that lackadaisical attitude of the Government in failing to honour the joint ultimatum of the Lamhai and Mhainamtsi Village Council has compelled the landowners and the Zeliangrong community to take its own course of action.
It said the bandh would be indefinite and “may escalate to destruction of Government properties” until the demand for “revocation” of the ‘Recognition Order’ is made, adding the government would be solely responsible for any loss of life or any untoward incident arising out of the issue.
It requested the public of Peren district to bear with the inconvenience caused by the bandh. (Page News Service)